1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a clip for fixing a trim board to a body panel of a vehicle and particularly to improvement of a clip in which a grommet and a pin are integrally connected by a thin connection portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP-A-Hei.8-270628 discloses a clip of this kind.
The clip according to the related art, which is not shown specifically, is an integrally molded piece made of a synthetic resin. The clip includes a grommet having a V-shape, a pin, which relatively moves inside the grommet, and a pair of thin connection portions, which connects the grommet and the pin. The grommet has a pair of leg pieces and a through hole. The pair of leg pieces correspond to both side walls forming the V-shape and can expand. The through hole for guiding a top portion of the pin is formed at a tip of the V-shape. The pin has a flange portion holding a trim board and a support portion downwardly extending from a lower surface of the flange portion. The thin connection portions integrally connect an inside surface of each of the leg pieces of the grommet and an outer surface of the support portion of the pin so that the movement of the pin inside the grommet can forcibly deform the connection portion.
It is assumed that a trim board is fixed to a body panel by using the clip according to the related art. The flange portion of the pin is made to hold the trim board in advance. While keeping this state, each of the leg pieces of the grommet is inserted into an attachment hole formed in the body panel and then the pin is forcibly pushed into the inside of the grommet. Simultaneously with pushing the pin into the inside of the grommet, the pair of thin connection portions are deformed to expand each of the leg pieces of the grommet outwardly. Thus, the trim board is fixed to the body panel side.
Accordingly, differently from a so called “two-piece clip”, in the clip according to the related art, the grommet and the pin are integrally molded through the thin connection portion. Therefore, especially, the clip can be used conveniently. This is an advantage of the clip. However, the leg piece of the grommet and the support portion of the pin are always integrally connected through the thin connection portion. Therefore, when the leg piece is inserted into the attachment hole of the body panel, sufficient flexure with respect to the inside of the leg piece cannot be obtained. Also, when the pin is pushed into the inside of the grommet, since the push is performed with the pair of thin connection portions being deformed, considerable push-force is required. These are problems.